Written Answers

Friday 30 June 2000

Scottish Executive

Diabetes

Irene McGugan (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what plans it has to ensure that the NHS responds effectively to the increased number of people diagnosed with diabetes.

Susan Deacon: I refer Irene McGugan to the answers I gave to questions S1W-7460 and S1W-7462.

Dog Fouling

Mr Adam Ingram (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many dog fouling offences have been reported to Procurator Fiscals’ offices in each of the past three years, broken down by region.

Colin Boyd QC: The information requested is detailed in the table below and has been broken down by year and region. As many of these cases are closed relatively quickly some cases reported during 1997 will already have been purged from the Crown Office computer system and are therefore not reflected in the figures given. Similarly the figures for the year 2000 represent only those cases reported thus far. The figures in respect of 1998 and 1999 however reflect the total numbers of cases reported in those years.

  


 


1997


1998


1999


2000




Grampian, Highland & Islands


0


0


8


4




Tayside, Central & Fife


20


55


35


30




Lothian & Borders


2


8


11


3




North Strathclyde


2


19


6


2




South Strathclyde, Dumfries & Galloway


2


4


7


0




Glasgow & Strathkelvin


9


23


19


3




Total


35


109


86


42

Environment

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the current division of responsibilities between Railtrack, the Scottish Environment Protection Agency and local authorities for the maintenance and upgrade of lands surrounding railway bridges, including underpasses.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no plans to review the responsibilities for the maintenance and upgrade of lands surrounding railway bridges.

Environment

Mr Jamie McGrigor (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will give an assurance to Argyll and Bute Council and local community councils opposed to designation that the South-East Islay Skerries will not be designated as a Special Area of Conservation for common seals until the further scientific work identified in February 1999 by the Advisory Committee on Sites of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) as necessary before the area could be designated as an SSSI has been completed.

Sarah Boyack: The South East Islay Skerries will not be proposed as a candidate Special Area of Conservation unless there is a sound scientific case for doing so.

European Funding

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what its priorities are for the LEADER+ programme, what criteria will be used to define eligible projects and what specific themes, if any, will be promoted in the programme.

Mr Jack McConnell: I expect to consult next month on how LEADER+ might be implemented in Scotland. In particular I will be seeking views on what themes would be appropriate. Feedback from consultation will be used to develop the Scottish LEADER+ programme.

  Individual projects will be the responsibility of the LEADER+ Groups once they are established.

European Funding

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive how Scotland’s plans for the development of LEADER+ proposals compare to the rest of the UK.

Mr Jack McConnell: Separate LEADER+ programmes will be developed for Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Approaches will be broadly similar. Programmes will, however, be developed to reflect responses to consultation and the particular circumstances of the areas concerned.

European Funding

Ben Wallace (North-East Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will publish a consultation document in relation to the LEADER+ programme and, if so, when it will be issued and when responses will have to be made.

Mr Jack McConnell: I intend consulting early next month and will allow 12 weeks for responses.

Health

Dr Elaine Murray (Dumfries) (Lab): To ask the Scottish Executive which hospitals in Scotland offer treatment for puerperal psychosis and, of these, which allow mothers and babies to stay together during treatment.

Susan Deacon: The hospitals contained in the table below offer treatment for puerperal psychosis. Those hospitals that would allow mothers and babies to stay together during treatment (subject to clinical determination, staffing and capacity) are indicated in column a:

  


Hospital


a




Huntlyburn House, Borders General 


Yes




Falkirk and District Royal Infirmary


Yes




Stirling Royal Infirmary


Yes




Royal Edinburgh


Yes




Rosslynlee, Midlothian

 



Herdmanflat, East Lothian


Yes




St John’s, West Lothian 


Yes




Royal Cornhill, Aberdeen


Yes




Aberdeen Royal Infirmary 


Yes




Raigmore


Yes




Western Isles


Yes




Leverndale, Glasgow


Yes




Southern General, Glasgow


Yes




Parkhead, Glasgow


Yes




Stobhill, Glasgow


Yes




Gartnavel Royal, Glasgow

 



Vale of Leven, Alexandria

 



Royal Alexandra, Paisley 

 



Ailsa, Ayr


Yes 




Crosshouse, Kilmarnock


Yes




  Due to the very low incidence of puerperal psychosis (limited to around two cases per 1,000) treatment is not always available on a local basis. Where a case is deemed to be too severe for treatment through the local inpatient psychiatric service, arrangements are made to transfer the patient to the nearest specialist unit.

  Greater Glasgow Health Board has recently agreed with the Glasgow Primary Care NHS Trust to establish a special five-bedded unit for mothers and babies. This development will be commissioned during 2001-02 and will result in a significantly enhanced service for mothers with puerperal psychosis within a safe and supportive environment for their babies.

Helplines

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and non-financial input it has had to the operation and policy framework for the National Drugs Helpline.

Angus MacKay: The Scottish Executive has contributed £170,000 this year towards the costs of both National Drugs Helpline and the National AIDS Helpline.

  Reports consisting of information, data, and profiles relating to phone calls received on drug misuse are provided to the Scottish Executive by the Drugs Helpline service provider Healthwise on a regular basis.

Helplines

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what financial and non-financial input it has had to the operation and policy framework for the National AIDS Helpline.

Iain Gray: The Executive contributed £170,000 in 1999-2000 towards the costs of both the National AIDS and Drugs Helplines.

  The Scottish Office was involved with the Department of Health in England in the process of re-tendering the contract for the helpline, in 1998. Since then, the Executive has received regular activity reports from the current contractor, Healthwise, and will be involved in the evaluation of the service provided.

Local Government

Mr Lloyd Quinan (West of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1W-4034 by Mr Jack McConnell on 27 March 2000, whether it will place in the Scottish Parliament Information Centre a copy of the detailed calculations for Argyll and Bute Council’s non-housing capital expenditure for each year from 1997-98 to the present.

Mr Jack McConnell: A paper detailing Argyll and Bute’s formula allocation for each year since 1997-98 has today been placed in SPICe.

Mental Health

Mrs Margaret Ewing (Moray) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many local authorities have submitted plans for advocacy for mental health service users and whether the provision of such a service will be mandatory.

Iain Gray: We have not invited local authorities to submit plans for advocacy services for mental health service users, and have no plans to do so. Eight local authorities in Scotland presently provide advocacy projects from funding provided under the Mental Illness Specific Grant.

  The 1997 Framework for Mental Health Services in Scotland provides a template for the care agencies in the organisation of integrated and responsive mental health services, including advocacy mechanisms. Specific guidance to care agencies Advocacy: A Guide to Good Practice, was published at that time, and further guidance will be published later this year.

  Advocacy now plays an increasingly important role in the development of modern and responsive mental health care. The Millan Committee, in its review of the Mental Health (Scotland) Act 1984, is considering what place advocacy should have in mental health legislation. We expect to receive their recommendations later this year.

Mental Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many long-stay patients with mental health problems have been transferred to care in the community in each of the last 10 years, broken down by health board area.

Iain Gray: Statistics on discharges and transfers from mental illness hospitals and psychiatric units are published annually in Scottish Health Statistics by the Information and Statistics Division of the NHS in Scotland.

  This is available from the Information and Statistics Division of the NHS in Scotland or via SPICe or the Scottish Health on the Web Internet site.

Mental Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many long-stay patients with mental health problems are planned to transfer to care in the community, broken down by health board area.

Iain Gray: The information is not held centrally.

  The organisation and balance between hospital and community provision is a matter for local discussion and agreement between individual health boards and their local authority partners.

Mental Health

Brian Adam (North-East Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what advice it has made or will be making available to health boards concerning relatives wishes in respect of long-term patients with mental health problems being considered for care in the community.

Iain Gray: Guidance was issued to the NHS and local authorities in 1996 and remains relevant. That guidance includes advice on the need to keep patients, their families and carers informed and involved at all stages where a transfer from hospital to alternative care in the community is under consideration.

  That process is underpinned by a two-stage appeal process allowing patients or their families the right to a review of any recommendation made for continuing care. Appellants can refer any concern in the first instance to the Director of Public Health at the health board, and if continued, appellants can request a second opinion involving a clinician from a health board area of their choice.

Planning

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to extend the list of developments designated as "bad neighbour developments" for the purposes of schedule 2 of the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992 to include outdoor developments such as skateboard areas, BMX tracks and playparks.

Sarah Boyack: We have no such plans.

Planning

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has any plans to review the definition of "material change of use" particularly as it relates to class 33 development by local authorities under the Town and Country Planning (General Permitted Development) (Scotland) Order 1992.

Sarah Boyack: We have no such plans.

Prison Service

Alex Neil (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will provide details of the minimum and maximum part-time and full-time nursing staff levels at Bowhouse Prison, Kilmarnock since its opening, including the current levels, and whether it will provide comparable figures for every other prison during the same time period.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. Mr Cameron’s response is as follows:

  The information requested in respect of HM Prison, Kilmarnock is not available. Staffing of Kilmarnock is a matter for Premier Prison Services. Nurse staffing levels for all other prisons in Scotland is in the following table:

  Scottish Prison Service Nursing Service

  Establishment/Whole Time Equivalent (WTE) Nursing Posts

  


Establishment


WTE




Aberdeen


5




Barlinnie


36.5




Cornton Vale


15




Dumfries


5




Dungavel


1




Edinburgh


20




Glenochil*


15




Greenock


6




Inverness


3




Low Moss


4




Perth


21.5




Peterhead


6




Polmont


14




Shotts**


11




Total


163




  *Includes Young Offenders’ Institution

  **Includes Shotts Unit and National Induction Centre

Prison Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure seamless care for prisoners in relation to mental health and drug misuse.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is a matter for the Scottish Prison Service which, in 1998, published its Health Care Standards for Prisoners . These include a specific Standard on Throughcare.

Prison Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what measures are in place to ensure minimum disruption in health care of prisoners when they are moved across NHSiS healthcare boundaries for custodial reasons.

Mr Jim Wallace: This is a matter for the Scottish Prison Service who say that both Prison Medical Officers and hospital colleagues liaise with each other regarding ongoing care when prisoners are transferred for operational reasons.

Prison Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what guidelines are in place to ensure that prisoners in Scotland are given professional health care, advice and support.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. Mr Cameron’s response is as follows:

  This is a matter for the Scottish Prison Service which published its Health Care Standards for Prisoners in 1998.

Prison Service

Mary Scanlon (Highlands and Islands) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive whether doctors providing general medical services to the Scottish Prison Service will be trained in the advice and treatment of drug misusers.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. Mr Cameron’s response is as follows:

  Prison Doctors’ continuing medical education includes training on the management of drug misuse.

Prison Service

Linda Fabiani (Central Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive how many penal establishments other than those operated by the Scottish Prison Service or legalised police cells received financial support from it in each of the last three years and how many such establishments it plans to support in each of the next three financial years.

Mr Jim Wallace: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service to respond. Mr Cameron’s response is as follows:

  There was one penal establishment (HMP Kilmarnock) which commenced receiving financial support during the financial year 1999-2000 from the Scottish Prison Service, which will continue during the next three financial years. Plans for future years will be published in the SPS Corporate Plans submitted to Ministers annually.

Prison Service

Nick Johnston (Mid Scotland and Fife) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what effect the European Convention on Human Rights will have on the Scottish Prison Service’s ability to search inmates and visitors for drugs.

Angus MacKay: I have asked Mr Tony Cameron, Chief Executive of the Scottish Prison Service, to respond. His response is as follows:

  The European Convention on Human Rights is not expected to have an adverse effect on the ability to search prison inmates and visitors for drugs. The procedures used by the Scottish Prison Service for such searches are designed to comply with the convention.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what steps it will take to ensure that the Larkhall rail line scheme proceeds and what the timetable is for the scheme.

Sarah Boyack: I refer the member to the answer I gave to question S1W-6806.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has obtained or will seek to obtain the Strategic Rail Authority’s comments on the Incremental Output Statements relating to Scotland and whether, when and how these comments will be published.

Sarah Boyack: Officials of the Scottish Executive are in regular contact with the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority (SSRA) on a range of matters, including the draft Incremental Output Statements. Railtrack’s estimated costings for these are being evaluated by the SSRA. The authority will be drawing up a shortlist of outputs that will be considered as part of the Rail Regulator’s review of access charges. The Regulator will then issue a consultation document on proposals for funding the implementation of IOS.

Rail Network

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive when it intends to respond to Railtrack’s Network Management Statement and when it will publish any response.

Sarah Boyack: I refer Mr MacAskill to my answer to question S1W-6850.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what consultations have taken place with the Strategic Rail Authority with regard to funding the Borders Railway following the parliamentary debate on 1 June 2000 and what meetings have been arranged for the future.

Sarah Boyack: Scottish Executive officials met officials from the Shadow Strategic Rail Authority on 12 June. A wide range of subjects were discussed, including the Scottish Borders railway line. I met the Chief Executive of the SSRA on 26 June 2000.

Rail Network

Christine Grahame (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what funding sources it is considering in relation to reinstatement of the Borders Railway.

Sarah Boyack: A working group headed by the Scottish Borders Council has been established to explore practical options (including funding) for re-opening the Borders railway. Individual railway infrastructure projects are eligible for support from public resources, for instance, the Public Transport Fund or the Railway Passenger Partnership Fund. No application has as yet been received for support from either fund for the Borders railway.

Rail Network

Tavish Scott (Shetland) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive what presence the Strategic Rail Authority will have in Scotland and in particular where its Scottish office will be located and how many full-time staff it will employ.

Sarah Boyack: The administration of the SSRA is matter for its Chief Executive.

Scottish Executive Publications

Dorothy-Grace Elder (Glasgow) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it will submit all Executive documents for scrutiny by the "Plain English Campaign" prior to release.

Mr Jack McConnell: The Scottish Executive is a corporate member of the Plain English Campaign and we are currently looking at the use we make of that organisation and at how we adopt the plain English principles in the documents we publish.

Tourism

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive what progress is being made with the formal approval of tourist route signposting of the A701 from the M74 at Moffat.

Sarah Boyack: Proposals for tourist route signposting for the A701 Scenic Trail to Edinburgh were approved by my officials in May. Autolink, the private sector operator of the motorway, has been requested to deal with Dumfries & Galloway Council to secure their agreement to erect the signs as a matter of priority in view of the limited tourist season.

Tourism

David Mundell (South of Scotland) (Con): To ask the Scottish Executive, further to the answer to question S1O-1867 by Sarah Boyack on 8 June 2000, whether the Station Park in Moffat qualifies for signage from the M74.

Sarah Boyack: Station Park in Moffat does not meet the criteria applied for the provision of tourist signposting from a motorway.

Transport

Robert Brown (Glasgow) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it has been involved in any discussions with Strathclyde Passenger Transport Authority to support the reintroduction of trams in Glasgow.

Sarah Boyack: No approach has been made to the Scottish Executive by SPTE on this matter.

Transport

Mr Kenny MacAskill (Lothians) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive whether it had any role and input into the appointment of the Chief Executive of the Driver Vehicle Licensing Agency (DVLA) given the Executive’s responsibility for road safety in Scotland and the role of the DVLA in assisting with UK road safety objectives.

Sarah Boyack: The Scottish Executive has no functions in relation to driver and vehicle licensing.

Volvo in Irvine

Michael Russell (South of Scotland) (SNP): To ask the Scottish Executive what contact it has had with the owners and management of the Volvo factory in Irvine regarding the future of the factory.

Henry McLeish: My officials and I liaise regularly with local management in Irvine and I met them again, along with local and national union representatives, on 13 March. Volvo have confirmed that they will involve partners in discussions with regard to the future use of the site - a meeting of interested parties to discuss site options took place on 3 May. My officials attend regular meetings in Irvine with key local interests to discuss the position, including retraining/upskilling and redeployment opportunities for the workforce and future options for the site. The latest meeting took place on 23 June.

Waste Management

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive whether washing screens in screen houses of sewage works with untreated effluent produces a local atmosphere containing biological agents of a hazardous nature.

Sarah Boyack: Wastewater from the outlets of sewage treatment works is used as wash water for cleaning screens in screen houses at the inlet of some works. The process is carried out automatically without the need, in general, for manual intervention. It may, however, produce a local atmosphere of a hazardous nature. The Health and Safety Executive has published general guidance for both employers and employees on the health hazards of working with sewage. The Water Services Association (now Water UK) has also published similar guidance. This guidance has been implemented by the water authorities.

Waste Management

Euan Robson (Roxburgh and Berwickshire) (LD): To ask the Scottish Executive in how many sewage works in Scotland untreated effluent is used, or has been used in the last five years, to wash screens in screen houses, and to list these works.

Sarah Boyack: Waste water from the outlet of sewage works is used in some plants to wash screens in screen houses using an automated process. However potable water is used in most cases. Waste water (sewage works effluent) is used at 10 sewage works to wash screens in screen houses:

  North Of Scotland Water Authority - Biologically treated wastewater is used at Persely, Halkirk and Tain.

  East Of Scotland Water Authority - Settled wastewater is presently used at Edinburgh and Dunfermline. Biologically treated wastewater will be used later this year, following commissioning of the works.

  Screened wastewater is presently used at Kirkcaldy and Tayport. Biologically treated wastewater will be used when works are complete at the end of this year and 2005 respectively.

  Biologically treated wastewater is used at Galashiels.

  West Of Scotland Water Authority - Screened wastewater is presently used Meadowhead and Stevenson. Biologically treated wastewater will be used when works are complete in summer next year.